One Dollar 2023 Aussie Big Things - The Big Blue Heeler, Coin from Australia - detailed information

The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait" worldwide but "Sixth Portrait" in Australia, where the Queen's portrait by Vladimir Gottwald was fifth).

The Queen also wears the Coronation Necklace; originally made for Queen Victoria in 1858, it was also worn at the coronations (as Queen's Consort) of Queen Alexandra in 1902, Queen Mary in 1911 and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother) in 1937.

Unlike on British coinage, the effigy is "uncouped" (includes the Queen's shoulders). In small letters on the left, the artist's initials JC (for Jody Clark).

Running continuously around the rim is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the face value: ELIZABETH II 1952 - 2022 · AUSTRALIA 2023 · 1 DOLLAR ·.

The legend is interrupted by the "memorial" inclusion of the dates of the Queen's reign, 1952 - 2022.

The reverse of the coin depicts The Big Blue Heeler road-side attraction in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, on a background of flowers and a tower. On the pedestal, the inscription MUSWELLBROOK.

Above left, the inscription THE BIG BLUE HEELER.

The face value and the date of issue are on the obverse.

Release date: 4 September 2023.

The coins were issued during the reign of King Charles III; however, as his effigy was not expected to be approved for use in Australia until later in the year, they feature a "memorial" obverse with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the dates of her reign, 1952 - 2022.

The mint's 2022/2023 report lists mintage of 320,000 coins in "sachet", 177,500 in the ten-coin set, 6,500 in PNC, and 4,499 proofs. Additionally, there were 1,000 silver proofs. Given that the coins were released to the public in cardboard sleeves with individual coins and not in sachets, it looks like the mint provided the coins to Australia Post in sachets, to be repackaged into the sleeves at the point of sale. Judging by similar earlier collector releases, not all of the considerable mintage was sold in this format, and the unsold quantities were released into circulation. Many of the coins in the ten-coin set also ended up in circulation, because collectors bought the sets for the one-in-ten chance to get a coloured coin, and then spent the not-coloured coins.